To Tame a Hunter
by TheLadyIntegra
Summary: What if Mayu had never stayed with Kota and his family - and she had nowhere to hide from Bando? She was lucky the man owed her a debt...especially now that she was sick. But what about after she got better? What would he have in store for her then?
1. His Debt To Pay

I've had this on my PC for a while now, but I've been reluctant to upload it since I'm so unfaithful with my stories...Anyway, I'm putting it up in any case. So - this story is mildly AU in that Mayu never decided to stay with Kota and them. Also, Bando lives in a hut, just to be clear. I know in the manga he's in a tent, but it's my AU dammit! xD Just take it from there and enjoy! ^^

* * *

His Debt To Pay

She was small, filthy and couldn't possibly be older then twelve. Despite the approaching rain and the chilly gale that swept through them, all she covered herself with was a ragged jersey that fell until mid-thigh. He took in her disheveled hair and the various cuts and scrapes along her legs and face. She clutched a small white puppy to her chest as though it was her hearts carrier.

He had been saved by this pathetic brat?

"Alright, what the hell do you want?" He asked gruffly, towering over her and glaring through his sunglasses. Next to them the ocean protested to the foul change in weather, large waves crashing against the shore not meters away.

"Eh?" She asked with wide, confused eyes. "I'm sorry, I don't…"

He scowled, "I'm in your debt now, brat. So what do you want?"

Comprehension dawned on her face, causing her to smile weakly. "Ah, no, such a thing isn't necessary. That wasn't why I-"

"Shut up." He cut across her, causing her to flinch slightly. He dug into his pocket, taking out his notebook and pen. "This aint for your benefit, kid. It's my way to make sure I'm never indebted to anyone, especially not stupid little girls." He scribbled his number down in the book and tore out the page, thrusting it into her hands. "There. Since you can't decide what it is you want, take this. It's my contact info. If you're ever in a pinch, call me. I'll definitely save you, got it?"

She stared in wonder at the slip of paper before a broad smile spread over her face. "Sure!" She nodded exuberantly.

He bared his teeth at her joyous expression. People shouldn't be _allowed _to have that expression around him. It was a slap to the face, being indebted to someone like her…

Pivoting on one heel, he stalked off. It would be better to put that whole ordeal behind him for the moment, at least until she called and he got out of her debt.

"Ah!" He exclaimed. He had almost forgotten. He glanced over his shoulder, somewhat surprised to find that she hadn't moved at all and was staring at him, still with that awed expression. He frowned at her, causing her to blush and look at her feet.

"Oi." He called, "Have you by any chance seen a girl with horns?"

She blinked and then looked back up at him. "Umm, you mean Nyuu-san?"

His eyes widened and before he knew it he was in front of her, fisting his hand into the front of her jersey and hoisting her up so her feet just barely touched the sandy ground. She gasped, dropping the dog, her eyes closing instinctively at his expression of rage.

"Wh-what are you doing?" She asked, quivering slightly as the first drops of rain began to fall. He ignored her question, shaking her slightly as he answered.

"Yeah, that's what they called her! Where is she?" He growled, "Where the hell is that bitch?"

Bando watched as the girl trembled, and he could tell it had nothing to do with the cold. She took in a deep breath before replying shakily.

"I-I don't know. It was my big brother that told me about someone he saw who looked like that."

Bando froze his eyes narrowing down on her. Did she really think he'd buy that? She probably didn't even _have_ a brother. He drew his hand back, briefly registering that it was his much more powerful, bionic one.

Mayu tried her hardest not to cry when he slapped her. Despite the fact that he could probably hit a lot harder, it hurt. Her entire cheek stung and her lip was split, a trickle of blood running down the corner of her mouth, dripping off her chin. That hand…it hadn't felt normal. It had felt like he slapped her with a rock, not skin.

Why was he suddenly like this? Why did he want Nyuu-san so badly? He had seemed like a nice man. Sure, a little rough around the edges, but hadn't he said he would save her? Then why…why was he doing this?

"Did you think you could fool me with that lame-ass excuse?" He growled, wrenching her back up to face him. "You called her Nyuu-_san_, didn't you? How the heck could you name her with such familiarity and yet not even know her, huh?"

He was going to rip her jersey if he kept on holding her up like he was. And it was her only clothing too…

"Listen up, brat. I don't go easy women _or _children, so you better be straight with me." She watched his expression become even fiercer then she thought possible. "Tell me the truth, or I'll strangle you!"

She whimpered, clenching her fist and closing her eyes again, trying to block out his face. She felt something scrunch in her right hand and glanced down at it.

The note…

'_If your ever in a pinch, call me. I'll definitely save you, got it?'_

She raised her hand to his face, baring the note. He froze staring at it in confusion. "What the hell are you doing?" He asked impatiently. She took a deep breath.

"I-I'm in a big pinch right now! S-someone much bigger than me is threatening to hurt me. Rescue me please!"

His expression turned incredulous. "Are you retarded? It's hardly the place to say that to me now!"

"E-earlier you said you'd rescue me for sure, didn't you?" She swallowed, her eyes pleading. "Was that a lie? And you call yourself a man…"

Her lip quivered at his expression. His brow had furrowed into the biggest scowl yet and his teeth were bared, revealing sharp canines. She felt and saw his muscles tense and a vein in his forehead twitch and, for a moment, she thought he really would strangle her.

"All right, I get it!"

Then she was being shoved away, landing on her shoulder with a thud into the wet sand. She rolled over onto her stomach and was attempting to get up when a boot landed heavily on the back of her head, causing her to squeak in surprise.

"You're dead if I see your face again, got it?" She heard him say, and frustration was evident in his voice. She nodded her head into the sand as best she could with his boot on her.

"Y-yes sir." Her reply was muffled, but she guessed he heard her when suddenly his boot was gone and she heard his footsteps moving away.

"Good, now get lost."

"Al-alright…"

Mayu slowly hoisted herself onto her elbows and stared after his retreating back. That…had been close. Even as she got to her feet and brushed of the sand/mud on her jersey, face and hair, she had to wonder…

Would he have really strangled her?

The runaway sighed, bending down to pick up the frightened Wanta. It didn't really matter. After all, she had gotten away. Now all she needed was to go back to shelter. She also needed to let her jersey dry off, or it would get moldy…

With one last glance at the man's back, she hurried off to her regular sleeping place, on the other side of the beach. She had chosen a storage hut for canoes next to the boat repair section. Hardly anyone went in there, as most of the canoes were broken. It was the only half abandoned hut that didn't leak and it was there that she kept her 'blanket', a thin old torn sail that she had found lying around and, after asking a repairman, taken.

Reaching her hut after about ten minutes, she hurried into the shelter. It was at times like these that she regretted not staying with the family at Maple inn…

But, it wasn't her place to live with such nice, clean people. Not even her own mother had wanted her, she wouldn't dream of imposing on them when they obviously had problems of their own.

"Ahhh, I'm doing it again Wanta…" She told the puppy morosely. Wanta cocked his head and woofed.

With a sad smile she patted his head and moved into the corner of the square hut furthest away from the broken door. Folded neatly inside a coil of rope was her 'blanket'. She pulled her sopping and muddy jersey over her head, letting it fall with a wet splat onto the wooden floor. She took of her shoes and wet socks and lay both them and the jersey in the doorway, where the morning sun would hit them. She knew from experience that the storm wouldn't even last the whole night, and by the next day it would be bright and sunny.

Now completely naked, freezing and feeling horribly exposed, she seized the old sail and wrapped it around her body like a cloak. It was thin, but big, and when she sat and pulled it around her shoulders it created a perfect cocoon.

Wanta woofed sadly and climbed into her lap. Mayu sighed at the uncomfortable damp patch the puppy created on her knees with his wet fur, but wrapped her arms around him none-the-less, burying her face into his neck.

"Even if you're wet and dirty, I'll always be ready to hold you, Wanta. You understand that, right?"

Wanta sneezed in reply.

The runaway giggled. "Mmm, I must be careful…I might get sick too…like this."

* * *

Bando chanced a glance over his shoulder to see the girl run around a corner and disappear. He clenched his fists and scowled. It didn't seem like he had hurt her, other then the slap, which wasn't even hard enough to bruise.

He was a fool. A complete fool. She had got him, got him perfectly. With those big fucking pleading eyes and _his own words_ echoing in his head.

He felt the urge to shoot someone, _anyone._ How typical was it that the person he ended up 'saving' her from was himself? And she had only survived through quick thinking. He might have really hurt her if she hadn't given up the information. He could have killed someone he was indebted too…

Unacceptable.

He was a _fool_

* * *

When Mayu woke up, she was shivering uncontrollably. Her entire body felt stiff and sore, and her throat hurt terribly and she found great, painful coughs wracking through her. Her vision was hazy and her thoughts disordered. She saw Wanta barking at the entrance of the hut, but for some reason she couldn't really hear him…

Her head hurt…

She tried to get up and fetch the dog. If he carried on barking someone would find them and they'd get in trouble.

But she tripped over the sail, causing it to slide off her body, and her vision swam. All she saw before she hit the floor and passed out was a small pink tongue, licking her nose.

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A/N: First chapter! Pls review if you like it or if you have any questions ^^


	2. Bando's Good Day

Just a short one :)

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Bando's Good Day

Two days after his encounter with the girl, Bando was cleaning the beach. It had started as a pastime caused by boredom and a hatred for disorder, but by now he had figured out a purpose for his cleaning. If he managed to lure that woman, Lucy, to this beach and simply stay over two meters away from her, she would be harmless. With nothing for her to use as a projectile lying about she would be completely at his mercy.

The mere thought brought a feral grin to his face. That bitch was gonna pay for what she did to his body.

And so he was busy with his daily rounds, stoking various cans and chip packets and discarding them in a plastic bag when he heard frantic barking coming towards him.

Glancing up from his bag he found a small, white puppy making a bee-line for him. It barked and jumped as it got to him before grabbing onto the hem of his pants. He scowled down at it.

"Shoo!" He yelled, pushed the dog away with leg. It pulled at his hem before running off, stopping, and then looking back at him and barking. He blinked at it.

"Hey, don't I recognize you?" He murmured with a frown.

The dog barked again before rushing back towards him, tugging on his pants and running off again, repeating the process.

Intrigued, he took a few steps forward and the dog trembled before rushing off and stopping a little way away. Bando grinned.

"I see, you want me to follow you, mutt?"

The puppy barked an affirmative before hurrying off again. Bando shrugged, picking up his stoke and packet and following at a run. The dog stopped every now and again to check if he was still following before carrying on again.

Eventually they came to the boat repairs section and the mutt stopped before a hut and barked at it. Bando frowned, drawing his gun. He had dealt with canines before in his training, and he knew that it meant trouble when they started acting like this one.

Cautiously, he entered the hut, gun raised. He pointed it at the first figure he found, lying in the shadows on the floor.

And froze in his tracks when he saw it was _that_ girl.

"What the fuck?" He muttered.

She was completely naked, lying in a pool of her own vomit and shivering uncontrollably. Her skin was deathly pale, except for her face. Even with half of it pressed to the floor, he could still see the unhealthy flush of red that adorned her cheeks.

He realized now why he had recognized the mutt. It was _her _dog, which had for some reason called _him_ for help.

Bando lowered his gun and approached her shivering form, grimacing at the smell of the puddle of vomit. He lowered himself onto his haunches next to her and placed a hand on her cheek, not surprised to find it scorching hot. Despite this, and the fact that it was a warm, sunny day, she still continued to shiver.

It occurred to him now that she might really be homeless. An orphan, or a runaway. He could see her ribs and hipbone all to clearly- she looked starved. Tiny, underdeveloped breasts exposed swollen, reddish nipples. He shook his head and glanced back down at her face, where he had kept his hand steady.

"You're nothing but trouble, eh brat?" He asked gruffly, lightly tapping the cheek he held with his middle finger, a mock slap.

His SAT training then took over, despite a nagging voice near the back of his head telling him to get up and walk away. He told himself she wasn't his problem. She was just some kid who had happened to come across him in a tight spot. No big loss, he would probably be the only one who even knew or cared if she died. Not that he would _care_, as such, but…

But some instinct in him, despite his mind's protest, began examining her. She had knowledge of his prey's whereabouts after all. She would have no excuse not to tell him if he saved her life now. That would be his debt gone, and _then,_ even if she still refused…

Then he'd have no guilt to hold him back.

With this fueling his actions, he raked his eyes over her in a clinical fashion. They had all been required to pass a test that was based on nursing sick or wounded soldiers. He had wanted to skip it -he wasn't there to be tied down by sickly or weak comrades- but it had been made clear that passing the test was compulsory.

First things first. He rolled her head out of the puddle of vomit, relinquishing his jacket with reluctance and wiping away the mess from her face and hair with the sleeve. Growling in displeasure and disgust –he would probably never get the smell out, stupid brat- he smeared the vomit off on the wall before wrapping her securely into the thick covering. It was large – bulky, even on him – and easily covered her small frame until mid-shin. She did not stop shivering immediately, but after a few moments her face relaxed and he hoisted her into a sitting position.

He checked her pulse, monitoring her hear rate. As expected, it was going monstrously fast – due to the fever no doubt. Placing his large hand over her chest he could feel the rapid booming of the muscle.

She had a fever, was coughing and vomiting and had obviously been too weak to call for help herself. While not being well learned in medical matters, he could still guess with fair certainty that she had pneumonia or something similar. A small whine beside him reminded him of the dog's presence. He glared down at it.

"You! You sure fucked the hell out of my day, stupid mutt."

The puppy cocked its head and blinked. Slowly, a small pink tongue lolled from the animal's mouth and it seemed to almost grin during his answering bark. Bando scowled before forcing his glare away and picking the girl up. He rose fluidly from his haunches and strode confidently out of the stinking hut.

He would take the brat to a hospital, use his SAT license to get free medical care, take her back to his rented beach hut until she got better…

And _then_ interrogate her about that bitch.

He glanced down at the following puppy and frowned contemplatively. This could actually work to his advantage.

"Guess you didn't fuck up my day _too_ bad."

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A/N: Next chapter will be longer and VERY cute ^^ Pls review :)


	3. Nurse

Ready for the cuteness?

* * *

Nurse

The doctor came into his office with a warm smile plastered on his elderly face. He approached the seated Bando, who immediately stood up, the kid held lightly in his arms. He had left the puppy tied up outside the clinic.

"Good afternoon, I am Dr Minn," He greeted them, soft eyes traveling down to the young girl, " What seems to be the problem today?"

Bando nodded, and said simply: "This kid's a…friend of mine. She's sick."

Dr Minn nodded, shrugging on a white coat and readjusting lightly framed glasses. He gestured towards the examination table viewed through an open curtain leading to a separate, smaller room, and Bando followed him in, placing Mayu on the surface.

"Alright," Dr Minn began, leaning over the girl, "Lets see now…Well, I must say, she looks to be in terrible shape." He gently parted the large, bulky jacket, frowning slightly when he saw no other clothes beneath it. He turned a serious expression to Bando.

"Sir, please explain why your friend is wearing nothing but a jacket and stinks of neglect and worse."

Bando narrowed his eyes at the pleasant tone the doctor used. He didn't _sound _accusatory, but the SAT member got the message. He scowled.

"It aint my fault, if that's what you're asking." He growled angrily. Dr Minn nodded without changing his serious expression.

"Of course not. But, do elaborate on her condition in any case. How did she come to be like this?"

Bando rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses and bared his teeth angrily. "I haven't known her for too long, alright? But my guess is she's an orphan or a runaway. I found her lying in a pool of her own spew and brought her here."

Dr Minn frowned, but nodded. "I see…" He consulted a clipboard lying on a counter opposite the examination table. "It says here you're paying for this with you SAT privileges. Correct?"

Bando nodded and Dr Minn sighed.

"Very well. Just give me a brief explanation of her recent symptoms and then you are free to wait in my office while I complete her diagnosis.

"She seemed all right about two days ago, although I can't be sure she wasn't already sick. She's been shivering this whole time, coughing and she had been vomiting a lot. Not since I found her though. She probably doesn't have anything left to throw up."

Dr Minn smiled pleasantly. "Very well then. You may make yourself at home back in my office."

Bando nodded again and made his way back into the office, glancing back to see Dr Minn drawing the curtain closed, blocking his view of the examination room. He took a seat.

After about twenty minutes, while Bando was starting to get extremely impatient and ready to throw himself into the smaller room and demand what was taking so long, the curtain was slid open and Dr Minn stepped out, a grave expression on his face.

Bando frowned at him, angry at having to wait for so long. "Well?"

Dr Minn crossed his arms lightly, crystal blue eyes raking over him while slightly narrowed. Bando glared back. "_Well?_ Is she gonna be okay or what?"

Dr Minn sighed, "Sir, are you aware that your…friend has been sexually abused? And on numerous occasions?"

Bando's expression hardened. "No, I was not."

The doctor nodded readjusting his glasses again. "I…had thought as much. The evidence is faint, but obvious. It clearly happened some time ago. My guess would be about a year."

Bando pinched the bridge of his nose. "That…this is- wait, how the hell did you know she was sexually abused? Is that why she's sick?" Bando's eyes narrowed and he got to his feet, glaring at the elderly doctor. "What happened in that room?"

Dr Minn gave him a stern look. "Sir, did you honestly expect me not to _thoroughly _examine a patient when she is a child, naked and malnourished and brought in by a grown male claiming not to have known her for long?"

Bando shook his head, running his hand over his forehead and screwing his eyes shut against a sudden headache. Things had just gotten a lot more complicated.

"Alright, but what about the rest? The coughing and all that?"

"Your friend has a serious, and possibly deadly case of pneumonia. She has gone too long without treatment. From her rapid deterioration, I'd have to guess that it is bacterial, as viral pneumonia takes longer to show symptoms. She is deep in the water."

"Can't you treat it?"

"Of course. With the proper antibiotics and the right care - "

"I didn't do that shit to her, by the way. I'm not a good man, but I aint a fucking pedophile!"

Dr Minn's eyes softened. "I do not doubt it, honestly. But I do believe that she will require some more serious medical care. I suggest you take her to a hospital rather then a simply clinic where she can receive-"

"No. No, I can't take her to the hospital." Bando said. The reason he hadn't taken her to a hospital was because the only reliable one available he had escaped from, breaking a doctors jaw in the process. He almost smiled in memory of the sweet connection before clearing his head. "She's gonna have to get better here. Just give me some pills that'll fix her up and I'm out of here."

Dr Minn shook his head, "I'm afraid it's not that simple, she needs better treatment then this clinic can offer. We have no rooms where she could stay overnight to be watched. We are simply not cut out for this kind of-"

Bando glared angrily into the doctor's eyes while pinning him up against the wall. Dr Minn let out a weak cry as his head banged into the hard surface. The SAT member retrieved his gun and placed it at the mans throat.

"Listen up, doc, 'cause I'm only saying this once. You're gonna give me the shit I need to make the brat okay, or I'm gonna blow your brains out. Understand?"

The man nodded weakly and Bando released him, his gun still pointed at the doctor's throat, taking a step back. Dr Minn readjusted his coat before striding into the examination room, Bando on his heels, and began shuffling through boxes that lined a shelf on the wall. He retrieved one and placed it on the counter, picking out a few bottles of pills and liquid medicine. Then he stopped and glanced back at the girl.

"Keep her clean and keep her warm. Feed her in small portions at first until she begins to show signs of improvement. The instructions for use are written on the labels."

Bando picked up a bottle with pinkish liquid inside and squinted at the instructions before giving a grunt.

"Right." Then his eyes traveled upwards to scrutinize the doctor. His lips turned down into a frown. In a single step he raised his gun and slammed it down on the man's head. Dr. Minn fell to the ground without a sound – unconscious.

The man had been fairly co-operative, so there was no need for any further force. Not that Bando particularly cared, but for what it was worth he seemed to be a decent man. The ex-SAT dragged the doctor to the corner and checked his pulse. Satisfied that it was still strong and steady, Bando got to his feet and approached the girl on the table, still covered in his jacket. Stuffing the medicinal goods into the jackets large pockets, he bundled Mayu into his arms and strode casually from the office. No one stopped him on the way out, and by the time that doctor woke up, they would be long gone.

* * *

Bando fumbled for his keys before unlocking the door to his dwelling and ducking inside, the homeless girl tossed carelessly over his shoulder. The mutt followed him in bouncily and immediately began sniffing around the hardly furnished room. The two-room hut had a stiff wooden chair, a small drawer and futon in the left corner, blankets folded over it neatly, and a portable gas stove and cupboard to his right. Opposite him was a door leading to a small bathroom holding a toilet, shower and sink. The hut was small, but relatively spacious given the lack of furnishings. He was happy to simply have running water.

Glancing around, Bando was suddenly struck with the realization that he would have to give up his futon for the brat. A minor inconvenience – he had been forced to sleep on hard ground plenty of times during his training – but an inconvenience none the less.

With a scowl he placed his hand behind the girls head and lowered her onto the futon. Crouching on his haunches, he dug in the jacket pocket and drew out the medicines, placing them on the drawer, along with his sunglasses. He tapped her cheek lightly.

"Oi. Wake up, brat." He said firmly. Her nose twitched and she turned her head away with a sigh like a groan. His eyes narrowed. Like hell was she going to ignore him. He needed her to wash herself – he sure as hell wasn't going to do it for her. With a slightly harder 'tap', Bando brought his palm down on her forehead and she gasped awake.

Mayu's confused eyes immediately locked onto two hardened, frightening hazel orbs terrifyingly close to her face. The last time she had seen those she had almost…He had almost…

Mayu opened her mouth to let out a scream, but never got the chance as a large, suffocating hand clamped down on her mouth. His expression had twisted into something horrifying and tears sprung unbidden into her eyes. Why? Where was she? What was he going to do? She wanted to thrash and wiggle free, but her whole body felt like lead. She could barely breath with that hand holding her down.

Why? Why him again, of all people? Hadn't he let her _go? _Had he changed his mind? He had said he owed her!

"Quit cryin', brat." He said harshly, "I'm gonna take my hand away, and you're gonna keep nice and quiet, understand?"

_Mayu-chan…If I take my hand away, will you be a good girl and keep quiet?_

Mayu felt the tears flow faster and harder, but she knew the drill in times like these. She knew how to survive through it. So despite her vision blurring into a watery haze, she nodded her head and barely managed to stifle a choked sob as his hand moved away. When she saw his expression turn even fiercer, she clenched her eyes shut and turned her head away.

Why did she feel so horrible? Her skin felt numb, her throat sore and she was hot and cold at the same time. And the tears wouldn't stop flowing. Her head felt so jumbled… She could barely register that she was lying on something soft, inside a wooden house of sorts. She wasn't wearing her usual clothes either. Her mouth tasted gross.

She felt something rough touch the side of her temple and opened a single eye to see the back of the man's knuckles resting lightly against her skin. He was frowning. She stared dully at him.

"Your fever is getting worse," He said, looking thoughtful, "I'll take you to the shower. Run some cold water over yourself and get clean, got it? I wont be keeping something so dirty in my bed."

Mayu clenched her eyes shut again. Why did it always happen to her?

"In…your bed?" She whispered hoarsely, fearfully.

There was a silence and then the hand at her temple was quickly withdrawn. She heard him stand.

"Don't misunderstand, idiot." He said, sounding both angry and indignant, "You're only here so you can recover. Once that's done, my debt will really be repaid." She heard something like a smirk in his voice, "Then I can question you about that Lucy without holding back."

Mayu processed this and felt her tears slowly stop. So he wasn't planning anything like she had thought. But she was in his bed…

"Recovering?" She asked, finally opening her eyes to see that he had moved away and had his back turned to her. She did feel awful…But how was she here if she was sick?

"You would have died if your mutt hadn't called me over. I decided to help you so you'll have no choice but to tell me where the horned bitch is."

So Wanta had called him to her…She smiled. Now that she looked, she could see his little white tail as he sniffed around what looked like a kitchen area. She'd never had a friend like Wanta.

"Thank you," She said softly to the man's back. He wasn't wearing his jacket, as usual. Looking down, she saw it on her. And to think she had assumed the worst about him.

"Don't thank me just yet. We'll see how much thanks is needed after you've recovered and told me where she is."

Mayu frowned. He was certainly persistent, going through all this trouble just to get to Nyuu-san. She felt a niggling of worry as she thought of what would happen when she didn't tell him where she was. Even if he did seem to have his good side, he was obviously a violent man…

Which was all the more reason why she couldn't tell him where Nyuu-san was. Those nice, lovely people living there. She could never betray them. There was no telling what this man would do if he found out where they lived. He would kill Nyuu-san and possibly the others too.

She would never allow that.

Deciding to change the subject, she pulled a smile back on and struggled to sit up, "I…I'm Mayu, by the way."

"Stop moving around!" He growled, turning around and approaching her. Bando now knew for a fact that she knew where Lucy was. She hadn't bothered to make excuses or claim that she didn't know a second time – instead vying to change the subject. Oh she knew something alright, and the mere thought that she had the info and he was being forced to wait for it was enough to make his glare scorching. She shrank back and hunched her shoulders as he towered over her. He was truly menacing, "And I don't care who you are, understand? I'm not doing this to be your friend. This is strictly business, and if you're trying to butter me up to avoid telling me where she is, you'll have another thing coming!"

Mayu hugged his jacket around her tightly and pressed herself against the wall, away from him. Maybe if she just made herself small, he'd back off…

He did seem to pause for a moment before he bent down and hoisted her into his arms, ignoring her frightened squeak.

"Wh-what are you doing?" She asked as he moved across the hut and opened another door, leading into a small side room with a toilet and sink on one side and a large, open shower on the other. He ignored her and set her down on the floor beside the shower. He left the bathroom for a minute, leaving Mayu to rest her fatigued head on the wall, and returned with a large, dark blue shirt and a towel in hand. He tossed the towel at her and set the shirt on the closed toilet seat.

"There. Take off my jacket."

Mayu trembled, partly from a feeling of nausea and partly from nervousness as she used the large towel to hide her body while she wiggled out of his coat. She held it out for him and clutched the towel to chest.

He took the jacket from her hand and wrinkled his nose. Mayu felt dismayed.

"This will have to be washed too." He said in quiet irritation, "In any case, there are cleaning things on that shelf. Run the cold water and just…do your thing."

Mayu stared up at him without moving. He stared back impatiently.

"I…can't." She whispered eventually, when she noticed his cheek twitch.

"What do you mean you 'can't'?" He asked angrily. Mayu flinched.

"I'm sorry, but I can't move my body right now…"

Wow, his mouth can get really thin…she thought with a swallow. He looked about ready to murder.

"I am not your god dammed nurse girl! Get in there and clean yourself up!"

Mayu's lip trembled, "B-but I _can't_!"

He threw his hands up with a loud, angry growl and dropped the jacket to the floor. Mayu flinched back when he raised his hand, but frowned when all he did was pull off his shirt, exposing an extremely muscled and scarred torso. He dropped the shirt over the coat. She heard him mutter something like _"Have to do everything myself!"_

He gestured to her, "Take the towel off then. You're getting in there, with or without me."

Mayu turned her head away. She knew he must have already seen her naked, so there wasn't exactly any shred of modesty to be had in any case. And it wasn't like he would touch her in _that_ way. She had thought he might at first, but he really didn't seem to be that kind of man after all.

So with a resigned sort of sigh, she shed the towel and sat completely bare. She watched him as he approached her, and noted how he kept his eyes firmly on somewhere above her eyes. He picked her up around the shoulders and under the knees and placed her in the shower. It had a detachable sprayer connected to a long coil, and he got up and pulled it off its clasp on the wall. He pulled soap and shampoo off of the shelf, as well as a sponge and facecloth, depositing them on the shower floor next to her. He didn't drop his scowl once through it all.

"You're cleaning your own private parts, got it kid?" He said firmly, sprayer nozzle in hand as he crouched next to her. She nodded – she preferred it that way, of course! – and closed her eyes as he turned the taps and a lukewarm spray of water hit her skin.

It felt like ice.

She let out a yelp and tried to lean away, almost falling over until his hand caught her firmly around the shoulder. His glare spoke a thousand words alone, but he added to that number.

"Keep moving and I'll leave you in here."

Mayu nodded, her teeth chattering as he put the nozzle down and placed the sponge and the soap under the spray. After creating a lather, he brought the sponge to her wet shoulders and immediately began scrubbing the skin painfully hard. Mayu didn't say a word though, as she relished the knowledge that if he kept up like that everywhere, she's be cleaner then she'd ever been.

So he continued, holding her shoulder to keep her steady while he attacked the stubborn grime on her skin with such force that her entire body rocked back and forth. He dipped between and around her breasts, but thankfully didn't touch them – they were still in their very beginning and very painful stages of development, where even the slightest bump was extremely painful. He washed her stomach, but stopped at her hip bones. Though he also cleaned her legs, he left her inner thighs completely alone. He thoroughly scrubbed her back and the top of her bottom, and when he got to the bottoms of her feet she was hard-pressed not to giggle. He went about all of it so methodically; she couldn't feel even the least bit afraid. Especially while he still held that scowl that told her he would rather be _anywhere _else in the world.

After he'd turned the nozzle on her again and rinsed off the copious amounts of lather coating her entire body – revealing soft, pink-tinged and wonderfully _clean _skin, he moved onto her hair. When he had worked up lather with the shampoo, his sharpish nails dug into and scrubbed her scalp with vicious speed. He obviously wanted to be quick, but also thorough. By the time he was done, she was sure she had lost two layers of skin. After he had told her to close her eyes and had rinsed her hair thoroughly, he got up.

"_There_." He said, somehow managing to pack in every little bit of resentment and dissatisfaction for his situation into one syllable, "Do the rest yourself and call me when you're done."

Mayu nodded, watching him leave with shining eyes. Maybe the experience hadn't been all too pleasant, but she had never felt so fresh. The constantly itchy feeling her skin had had was leaving her, and she only had a few more places to clean.

She gently cleaned her small breasts before moving onto her lower areas, scrubbing at them viciously as well as her inner thighs. She hadn't had the chance to wash away the last touches of her father. She shifted to one side and then the other, scrubbing her butt-cheeks. Lastly, she re-rinsed and lathered the sponge for what seemed the hundredth time and cleaned away the grime on her face, and in and behind her ears.

By the time she was done, she was sure she had never felt more amazing, even if she still couldn't control the chattering of her teeth and the nauseas, limp feeling of her body.

"Um…Hello?" She called somewhat weakly, "I'm done…"

After a few seconds the door was opened and the man – she still didn't know his name – walked in, now wearing dry pants. Without saying a word, he picked up the towel and wrapped it around her before lifting her out of the shower. He stood her on her feet where she swayed woozily and as quickly as possible dried her, doing her hair last – leaving it standing in a big, tousled mess as he thoroughly, _thoroughly _dried it.

Feeling somewhat dazed, she barely heard him tell her to lift her arms until she felt him tug her wrist up sharply and she hastened to obey. She barely managed to stay upright in the time it took him to pull what was obviously his shirt over her head. It was soft, and came down to just above her knees, slipping down her one shoulder.

Before she could fall forward, he had her in his arms and was moving quickly back to the futon, where he lay her down and covered her with two heavy blankets. Her skin still had that hot, numb feeling and she still felt shivery. But even more then that, she felt terribly and horribly tired.

"Don't fall asleep yet!" She heard the man's voice as he held her head up under the neck and slipped a pill into her mouth, shoving a glass of water in her face next. She drank thirstily, feeling the pill go down her slightly swollen throat. Then he let her head drop back to the pillow, where it almost immediately rolled to the side as she fell asleep again.

* * *

Bando glared as the girl – 'Mayu' she had said her name was – fell asleep only moments after rolling her head to the side. Her small mouth was parted slightly, and he could hear her wheezy breath. She had _better_ not snore.

Taking the seat next to the futon he stretched his legs out and scowled at the world in general. He couldn't believe he had actually given in and washed her. She had enjoyed it – he could tell. He had been surprised that a sexually abused child had allowed it so easily – not that he would have given her a choice. But still. He had expected more tears, a tantrum…some form of resistance. Maybe she had been too weary or the fever had befuddled her brain.

Or maybe having men touch her was commonplace in her life. His gut clenched at the thought.

Shit. Why did it have to be like this? Why did the _one person_ who knew where his enemy was have to be a sexually abused little _brat_ of a girl who had once saved his life – as much as he hated to admit it – and who refused to give up the location?

A grown man he could get the information out of using any _number_ of horrible methods, no problem. Heck, even a grown woman would have been easy to handle. In fact, anyone of any age, sex or allegiance he could have handled, except apparently, for _her_.

His narrowed eyes turned to her sleeping form once again. Exactly what would he do if she wouldn't talk?

He could probably still get rid of her without any hitches, but if he was honest with himself he didn't think he had the guts to torture it out of her. And just that fact alone made him feel violent. His fists clenched. So he would let the information slip from right under his nose just because she happened to be half his size and had by some freak accident actually managed to be of assistance to him? Was he really turning into such a pansy?

No. He was only feeling this way because he was still in debt to her, and she was sick and helpless. Once his debt was repaid, and she was in full health again, then surely he would be able to do whatever it took.

It was getting to late afternoon…He'd just take a quick nap and make something for him and the brat to eat when he woke up. He closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the wall and slouching in the chair. She had _better_ not snore.

* * *

A/N: omg, I had so much fun writing that! I know you people wanna review after that adorable chaper! xD


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